Abstract

In contrast to Eocene Himalayan foreland basin sedimentary deposits in India and Pakistan, coeval sedimentary rocks of the Bhainskati Formation in Nepal contain scant petrographic evidence of orogenic input. Such data have been used as evidence to promote models of diachroneity of India-Asia collision. In this paper we document orogenic input into the Eocene foreland basin rocks of Nepal, from fission-track analyses of detrital zircons. Our data provide evidence that significantly reduces the possible duration of any diachroneity of collision, and brings the interpretation of the sedimentary record into better agreement with ages of early thrusting and metamorphism in the orogen. We also use our detrital fission-track data to bolster previous age determinations of the overlying Dumri Formation, confirming the basin-wide occurrence of a major unconformity. Comparison of our data set with that from coeval along-strike rocks in India suggests that there is no evidence of diachroneity in early stages of the orogen's exhumation.

Item Type:

Article

Journal or Publication Title:

Geology

Additional Information:

I conceived the idea, devised and steered the project, provided the funding, led the interpretations and wrote the paper. Co-authors provided analyses. This paper was the first to provide evidence of early Himalayan erosion in the eastern Himalaya, thus advancing models of orogenesis and crustal deformation. RAE_import_type : Journal article RAE_uoa_type : Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences